Caleb's Big Day

My little boy will be 3 next Tuesday. For his 2nd birthday, Stephen and I spent all of February planning the coolest Thomas birthday party ever! We spent countless hours making..painting..cutting. It was planned for April 12 in our hometown. But my mom died April 10th and we rushed out the door that day and left some of his party stuff behind.

This year for Caleb's birthday party, he wants........THOMAS again! Yippee. That's fine with me. We are having the party here so it won't even be the same guests. We kept a few of the decorations and games (like Thomas Bingo) and it won't take us too long to recreate some of the things that didn't make it back home. Since we moved 5 weeks after his party last year, there's no telling where the other things are.

The other night, after bathtime, all Caleb wanted to wear was his Thomas jammies. He even put them on himself. But he got them out of the dirty clothes. I seriously had to wrestle him to the ground to get them off and I only got him to stop crying by giving him his red flannel Thomas jammies.

Last night after their baths, he pulled his dirty red jammies out of the dirty clothes and started to put those on. Somehow I diverted his attention and scrambled to hide them under my sheets. I later buried them at the bottom of the clothes hamper. But I didn't think to bury the Thomas T-shirt he wore yesterday. The one he wore to the park and ROLLED in the dirt and leaves in.

This morning, he found it and was naked in no time, trying to put on that filthy, disgusting shirt.

So...please...will someone tell me where I can buy more Thomas shirts?

Which brings up another topic. When will the madness end? He has Thomas swim shorts, a Thomas beach towel, lots of the Thomas trains that go with his track, several Thomas videos, Thomas books, Thomas bedding that I got from a co-worker for $15, Thomas underwear, Thomas shoes, a Thomas umbrella, a Thomas bike, a conductor hat/whistle/bandanna set, 2 Thomas puzzles for 4 year olds that he has done in 5 minutes, and yes, he was Thomas for Halloween. Do you know how many Thomas things are out there? He can spot these things a mile away. And all he wants is more Thomas stuff. Because he does not have:

Thomas Goes to the Fair Puzzle at Toys R Us

Thomas the Train Great Race Game

Thomas plate, cup, and silverware set

Thomas Count Your Cars Game

And there's so much more online!
So I guess if Caleb wants to continue with his Thomas love affair, he'd better make it a long one!

The First Day of Lent

While I had this great idea of posting my thoughts and the church's thoughts on Ash Wednesday, Lent, and The Passion of Christ, I just don't have the time today that I'd like to have to get it all down here. As most of you know I am an admitted OCD list maker so this is gonna take some time. I want to research things to do with my kids and get those things organized as well. So I'll work on that and hopefully get it posted by Friday.

I thought that instead, I'd remind you Catholic readers to check out my 'meatless' recipes on my cooking blog. To my surprise, nothing showed up in my 'labels.' That's because last year I had my recipes on this blog and recently I had the GREAT idea of making a separate blog for my recipes. And rather than just post all the recipes on the same day, I set them up to post daily through June! So, there are a few meatless recipes on Aggieland Mommy Cooks and I promise that there are more that will post in a few weeks.

Or you might check out what I posted last year about Easter. I have some cool activities you can do with your kids like the Jelly Bean Prayer, Easter Story Cookies, or Resurection Eggs. And one last thing, last year I found a cool 'scene' of Jesus at the Tomb at Hobby Lobby. I know they had some more in a few weeks ago but they weren't with the Easter stuff at the time. They were with the garden stones. This scene is an awesome visual for the kids. You might want to go check them out.

Now I really must get back to work. I have a humongo list of things I am supposed to be doing!

Money!

Calling all Texans, you must go to this site and see if you have any unclaimed "property." I did and I had $100. Woo hoo! All I had to do was type in my name. Once I found that I have some money, I followed the forms through until I got to a printable claims form. I've already signed that and I'll be sending it off today.

Good luck!

Now remember to send me 10% of your unclaimed property since I AM the one who told you about it!

Another Laurenism

We put out a few Mardi Gras decorations the other day and Lauren asked Stephen what Mardi Gras is. Stephen began to tell Lauren that it is a big celebration the day before Lent begins. Of course she asked what Lent is and Stephen told her that Lent is when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days talking to God. Her reply:

"So Jesus was talking to Himself?"

Laurenism

The other day I found Lauren's pop-top cup in the van. It had been leaking apple juice on a pillow for at least a few days and with the near 80 degree weather we've had lately, you can imagine what the smell was like. I told her it, "Smelled to high Heaven."
Her reply was, "Oh. So can Grandma smell it?"

She's a pretty smart little girl I tell ya.

I lost 5 lbs

and trust me, I don't want them back. I didn't lose them in the traditional manner, you know, exercise and a healthy diet. That's not me at all. We all had the stomach bug. AGAIN! I went about 12 years without throwing up. When Caleb was a newborn Stephen and I got the bug and it has been coming back ever since. We got it last August and again this week.

Poor Abby got it first but luckily it passed quickly. Monday morning she woke up with a dirty diaper that went up her back and let's just say the sheets and blanket had to be thrown in the wash. Later that day she threw up her juice but that was the only throwing up for her.

Tuesday Caleb had the BIG D and told Stephen his tummy hurt. He had never said that before. Later, Stephen called me at work to tell me that Caleb threw up....all over Stephen. I started to feel my tummy rumble a little bit. When I got home from work, I sprayed and wiped the house with Clorox, for what that was worth. I mean, the virus was already multiplying in places we couldn't see. Stephen went to work and my bathroom marathon began. Yup, that's not fun when the baby wants to be at your heels. At one point I just knew I was going to throw up so I called Stephen and told him to get home. But I didn't throw up.

Lauren started complaining about her stomach but she never had the BIG D so we thought she just wanted attention. All of a sudden, Caleb (who was snuggling in my lap) started to throw up. Luckily I had a bowl for him. As he was just finishing, Lauren started. Bless her heart, all over her Tinker Bell costume. The one she has worn every day since she got it last Easter. Right as she finished and headed for the bathroom, it was my turn.

Poor Abby was so scared because of all the noise. She was crying and Stephen was running in 3 different directions. That was it for the kids- well, throw up wise. I tried to go to work on Wednesday but was too weak and stayed in bed til after noon.

I am pretty sure it has passed and won't be back. I know of a few friends who have had relapses and Caleb and Abby's diapers aren't solid yet. But I lost 5 lbs and so far-knock on wood- they haven't come back.

Valentine's Day

The big day of love is coming. It isn't like when we were kids and our parents might have brought home a cute stuffed animal and a coloring book. Last year I thought I was going the extra mile by putting up a few decorations and buying the kids a few little toys. We had a helium tank left over from a birthday party so we blew up a few balloons. My mom sent the kids precious cards with money (which always goes into their accounts) and that was that.

So why do I feel like I have to go ALL OUT this year? I've been doing searches online for cute activities to do with Lauren, my little artist. I bought more decorations such as window clings (that don't cling), a tablecloth for the kitchen, and cutie-pie placemats. I have the nice red tablecloth on the dining room table and we even bought a Valentine's Day door mat. I already have a plan for setting out their gifts Saturday morning and making heart shaped pancakes. For lunch the kids will eat heart-shaped sandwiches and drink strawberry milk. We have heart-shaped ice cube trays and I'd like to make dipped strawberries or the BEST Strawberry Shortcake ever (by Paula Deen). I have no idea what we're doing for dinner but I am going to make fondue for dessert.

But I want to do more! I have been to Hobby Lobby, Joann's, Target, and Wal-Mart twice just looking for more decorations and ideas. CRAZY!

So do you do anything for Valentine's Day?

Conversations over cookies

We are busy making Valentine's cookies and Lauren says,

"We can make this train for Caleb. He likes trains. We can make this steam black. It's my pleasure to make that for Caleb. It's my pleasure to make them with you, you're a good maker. "

Just for my long, lost friend

I don't have much time to check email, blog, or Facebook on the weekends. I'm too busy running errands, doing about 12 loads of laundry (if you count sheets), and spending time with the whole family since Stephen works nights.

When I checked Facebook this morning, I had a cute message on my wall from my old neighbor, Heather. I was exstatic when I found her on FB, by the way. She said it had been two days since she had anything to read so I told her I'd see if there was anything blogworthy so here goes....

Friday was my birthday. For some reason, Stephen and I both woke up at midnight so he wished me a happy birthday at midnight...but never again. Is it just me or would that have upset anyone else out there? He didn't tell the kids that it was my special day because I know they would have showered me with, "Happy Birthdays." I went to a meeting that morning and straight to work. When I got home, I thought maybe it would be different. But it wasn't. I was greeted with toys and clothes on the floor and I found Stephen upstairs working on the computer. I tried to hold in my disappointment. Later I asked what our plans were and he acted as if it were just another Friday. Now...in his defense, his family does not go out for holidays, birthdays, etc... but hello? This is our 6th year together. Last year he learned a BIG lesson when he didn't even get me a gift.

Well, this year I did get a gift so I guess I should be happy. We went out to dinner, I looked for clothes at a nearby store, and home. Happy Birthday to me! My dad didn't even call and this is the first birthday without my mom.

Saturday was boring. I did laundry, threw some chili in the Crock Pot, more laundry, and more laundry.

This morning was another story. As I was drying my hair, I could hear Stephen's voice over the hair dryer. When I turned it off, he told me that Abby woke up with a dirty diaper and it was all up her back. Ewww. I helped him get a bath started, then I stripped her bedding, and did MORE LAUNDRY! I guess that explains why Abby wasn't interested in dinner last night.

So that's my boring, unexciting weekend. And if you're interested in that chili recipe, it's on my cooking blog...you can click on "Crock Pot" in the labels section on the right. We were going to have Crock Pot Swiss Chicken Casserole tonight but someone forgot to get the chicken out to thaw.

I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little

Have you seen this video of Ellen? Now, I do not watch Ellen, I am at work when Ellen is on and I still hold a grudge from what she did on her comedy years and years ago (kissed another woman), but people have been talking about this clip and it was sent to me at work so I watched it.

This was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. I laughed so hard I was crying. The lady I share a classroom with had a small group so I had to cover my mouth to hold back the laughter. It is almost 7 minutes long but you MUST watch it. Make sure you are watching too, not just listening because Ellen's gestures are part of the fun.

UPDATED 12:37 pm--Adventures in Potty Training a Boy #1

All I've ever heard is how much harder it is to potty train a boy than a girl. I was lucky enough to have a girl first and she was SUPER easy. She was actually saying tee-tee at 16 months, I kid you not. But Lauren was early at everything. Early coming into this world, early walking, early talking. She amazed us.

Caleb has been one of the most stubborn little boys I have ever been around...and I've been around many small children in my life. So knowing how stubborn and resistant to change he is, I have followed the advice of a few wonderful friends who have said do not even try until THEY are ready. Caleb will be 3 on March 3. So yesterday I asked the question, "When exactly will I know if he is ready?" Caleb has gotten on the changing table a few times and told us he needed his pull-up changed. The other night he said, "Poopie" so I checked him and his pull-up was warm so I knew he had just gone potty. Yesterday morning he got on the changing table and asked to be changed. He didn't get an immediate response so he got down and handed my husband the wipe and clean pull up and insisted that he change it immediately. So I wondered if this was a sign.

Last night as I was getting the kids ready for bed, all was calm in the house for a brief moment. I figured why not try to put him on the potty chair? Now I had to bribe him with a little candy but he got on and within less than a minute he was going potty. I did what all moms do, I did the "tee-tee" dance. I jumped on Facebook and shared the news with all my friends who may or may not have cared...those who have potty trained care. I did the dance again, called Stephen at work and Caleb was so proud to tell his daddy that he did it. Yes he got that candy. We will give him 5 M&Ms for going potty and 10 if he actually goes #2.

This morning Caleb woke up and crawled into bed with Stephen as I was getting ready for work. I immediately checked his pull-up and it was DRY! Now, I don't know if it has been dry before, I never checked. So I sat him on the potty chair and listened. And listened. And listened. I asked him if he wanted a little bit of my water. I'll NEVER do that again. He poured the wated over himself into the potty chair. But we think he tee-teed so we celebrated again. I was a little late to work but still made it before school started.

At about 7:45 my cell phone rang, it was Stephen and I thought there was no reason for him to be calling, I just left the house. He said that Caleb grabbed himself so Stephen took him to the potty chair and guess what? He did it again! There were a few drops in his precious Thomas underwear but that was it, a few drops.

I know it is going to be hard for Stephen to keep up with Caleb not having an accident since he is also chasing around Abby (13 months) and meeting Lauren's demands.

It can't be this easy!
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UPDATED 12:37 pm
Caleb wore a pull-up to Wal-Mart and when they got home, it was dry.
Later, Caleb was in his room and started crying. He had an accident and was disappointed in himself but this was a HUGE step because now Caleb knows what will happen if he doesn't get to the potty. He said he was sorry for going potty on Thomas.

When I was home for lunch, I was going to the bathroom and I heard him say, "tee-tee" so I hollered for Stephen to get Caleb to the potty chair. He sat for a long time. False alarm. I think he was acknowledging that I was going potty. I didn't get any candy though.

As I was driving back to work Stephen called to tell me that Caleb had an accident in the ktichen. Stephen rushed him to the bathroom and left him on the toilet, just in case he wasn't finished. He ran back to clean up the kitchen before Abby got in the mess. When Stephen got back to Caleb he found that Caleb did not tee-tee any more but went #2 instead !!!!! And he was so proud that he tried to pick it up and show Stephen.

Lately I've heard so many stories about kids that won't go #2 in the potty. I'm glad this won't be an issue for us.

The Girls

No, this post is not about Lauren and Abby. It's about my other 'girls.' Ya know, "Flip" and "Flop." They are getting on my nerves here lately. They are pretty hard to shop for if ya know what I mean. And let me just say that I can tell you for a fact that God was NOT a woman because He never would have done this to us if He had been through what I've been through. Besides, God made us in HIS image, right? Uh, not me!

When I tried to buy those cuh-ute maternity shirts with a v-neck, they'd just flop on out. I can only buy my jammies at the Amish store because if the neckline isn't up to my ears, 'the girls' just pull my shirt down to my belly button. I found some precious jammies the other day and figured I'd try them on and if they didn't fit, I'd take them back. Oh they were so comfy! They looked good in the mirror so I took the tags off. Then I sat down with the kids, woops! I looked down and there was The Great Divide! Yup, my shirt had been pulled down so far I could see my dun-lop! Ya know, my belly dun lopped over. And what's up with tops having those LITTLE triangles where your 'girls' are supposed to go? I'm sorry, but if you are buying a size 12-14 like me, THEY aren't gonna fit into those tiny little triangle cups. Besides, when you are my size, get to be my age, and have nursed 3 children, the girls are so far apart, they rarely see each other. They act as if they are trying to disguise themselves as another set of arms. So back to jammie shopping for me. At the Amish store.

Yes, that was my son...

running up and down the aisles at church yesterday.

We sit at the back of the church for many reasons. First, Lauren leaves during mass to go to 'Childrens' Liturgy of The Word' so we like to be by the doors so she can find us when she comes back. Second, Caleb is in the nursery and we want to be easily found, if needed. Third, Abby will not stay in the nursery so sitting towards the back helps if Stephen needs to make a fast get-away with her.

Yesterday 11:00 mass was standing room only, I guess because all the regulars at 5:30 mass were going to be watching the Super Bowl- why, I'm not sure. So we had our places at the back of the church. Abby turned around and as people were walking in and out of the church, she was waving at them and saying, "Bye-bye." Thankfully that kept her busy for most of the mass.

At the end of mass, Stephen goes to pick up Caleb from the nursery so he can run (I mean walk) up to the altar to get the childrens' bulletin with Lauren. Last week Stephen decided not to bring Caleb back into the church because it is hard to keep him quiet. But Caleb was disappointed taht he didn't get his "Jesus book." So this week Stephen decided to pick Caleb up early and just wait in the Narthex. When it was time for the children to go get their bulletins, Caleb ran full speed ahead. And he never came back. Lauren came back, but no Caleb. Stephen was trying to tell me some story and I pointed out that he'd better go figure out if Caleb had rushed the altar or something. Just then, I heard his little voice yelling, "I want Mommy, I want Mommy, I want Mommy!" over and over again. And I saw him running down an aisle on the other side of the church. Then I saw him turn around and head back to the altar.

I was quite embarrased but the people around him were quite amused. Stephen finally caught up to him and brought him back to our seats. Phew!